Angel Flight"
by Bridget
Summary: Missing scene


Title: "Angel Flight" (Missing Scene)

(Original air date: March 8, 1978)  
  


Author: Bridget Frawley ([ Scarecro9@aol.com)][1]  
  


Disclaimer: This story is based on characters that are Copyright@Spelling-Goldberg Productions.

This story is meant for enjoyment purposes, and I retain only the rights to the plot, not the characters.   
  


Author's note: Story takes place a few days after the case ended.  
  
  
  


Sabrina Duncan bolted upright in her bed, heart racing wildly. She took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. The nightmares had been occurring every night for the past week. Each time she had awakened she had been so unnerved that she wasn't able to go back to sleep. The last two or three days had taken such a toll on her nerves that she hadn't had much of an appetite. She'd tried herbal teas and relaxation tapes but nothing seemed to help. She'd hesitated taking any kind of prescription drugs, however. She knew that she'd have to cave in soon if this continued. After several minutes of deep breathing she shuddered. 'This is ridiculous', she chastised herself mentally. 'I've faced worse things than this. I'm tough. I can get through this.' Now if she could only make herself believe it. She sighed, feeling a little more steady now, and got out of bed to make some tea. She knew she wouldn't get any more sleep tonight.  
  


A few hours later she was the last to arrive at Townsend Investigations.

"Hi, Bri," Kris said brightly, examining Sabrina up and down. It was a far cry from her usual neat as a pin appearance. Her clothes were slightly wrinkled and she had dark circles under her eyes. "You should tell your new boyfriend not to keep you out so late."

"What new boyfriend?" Sabrina asked tiredly, slowly making her way to the couch and sitting down. Her eyes were burning and she rubbed them, hands trembling slightly.

"Why else would you look so beat?" Kris remarked wryly, remembering a few all-nighters herself.

Sabrina decided not to correct her, not up to explaining right now. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the back of the sofa.

"Are you holding out on me?" Kelly demanded, turning to face her. She was sure if there WAS a new man on the scene she'd have heard something. She noticed that Sabrina wasn't acting like her usual self. "You okay?"

Bosley glanced over as well now. "Tell this guy to take you to a nice restaurant," he said. She looked awfully thin, even for her.

Sabrina sighed wearily. 'God, I'm so tired,' she thought to herself.

Just then the telephone rang, sparing her any attempt at explanations.

It was Charlie.

Bosley put him on the speaker phone.

As Charlie continued his debriefing Sabrina felt herself nodding off. She tried to force herself to remain awake until he was finished but it was a losing battle. A few minutes later she dozed off.

Charlie hung up when he was finished.

Kelly glanced over at the sofa and saw that Sabrina had fallen asleep. "Bri?"

"She must be exhausted," Kris commented.

"I wonder if she's coming down with something," Kelly remarked, placing a hand on Sabrina's forehead to see if she had a fever.

Both of them smiled at her.

"Well, this isn't like her and you know it," she said defensively, blushing.

"Look, I have some paperwork I have to finish up before I leave. Why don't you just let her rest there for a while? I'll make sure she gets home okay," Bosley offered

"Did you want us to stay with you?" Kris asked.

"That's all right," he answered. "I'll be fine."

"You sure?"

He nodded.

"All right," Kelly said reluctantly. "Would you tell her to call me when she feels up to it?"

"Sure."

They left.

Once they had gone Bosley gently lifted Sabrina's feet onto the couch. He then went to the closet to retrieve an old blanket. He went back to her side and covered her. He looked at her for a minute to make sure she was resting comfortably, then went back to tackle the paperwork.  
  


About two hours later she started tossing and turning.

He got up and went over to her side. "Bri?" He called softly, not wanting to startle her.

She bolted upright on the sofa, breathing heavily. She stared straight ahead, lost in her nightmare. Her heart felt like it was about to explode out of her chest and she was shaking violently.

He sat beside her and held her close. "It's all right. It was just a bad dream." 

She stared straight ahead, not hearing him. 

"It was just a dream," he said soothingly. "You're safe here. It wasn't real." He rocked her back and forth gently. He grabbed the blanket that had fallen to the floor in all the commotion and wrapped it tightly around her.

After a few minutes his words seemed to penetrate to her brain and she seemed to relax a little, leaning against him heavily.

"It's all right now," he continued. After a few seconds he asked, "Do you want to tell me about it?" He was afraid she'd start to hyperventilate soon if she didn't calm down.

Sabrina shook her head.

"You sure? You'll feel better," Bosley cajoled.

She shook her head even more violently. 

"All right," he said sympathetically, hugging her close. She obviously wasn't ready to talk about this yet. "Let me make you some tea to help calm your nerves."

She held onto him tightly, shaking her head yet again. She couldn't bear to be alone right now.

Somehow he sensed her need for human contact and stayed beside her, speaking soothing words over and over.

After about a half hour she took one last deep shuddering breath. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"What for? It's not your fault," he chided softly.

She still wasn't ready to leave his arms yet.

"How long has this been going on?" He asked curiously.

"A few days," she admitted, not being able to meet his eyes.

"A few days!"

She winced uncomfortably and tried to pull away from him.

Immediately he felt guilty and he held her closer. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, Bri," he said gently. "Why didn't you say anything?" 

She shrugged. They both knew she wasn't the kind of person who spoke about her problems easily.

"Are they usually this bad?" He asked compassionately.

Actually they'd been getting worse each time, but she wasn't sure if it was because they were wearing her down or because of an increase in intensity. "I guess."

"There's no new boyfriend. Is there?"

She blushed. "I didn't want anyone to know."

He could still feel her shaking. "Have you seen a doctor?"

"Not yet. I was going to wait a few days to see if they'd stop on their own."

"You want to try to go back to sleep?"

"No!" She almost shouted. She blushed again, embarrassed by her outburst.

"All right," he said understandingly. He thought for a minute. "I have an idea. Why don't I take you out for a nice relaxing dinner? Afterwards we'll go to your place and pack a bag. You can spend the night at my place."

She brushed the bangs out of her eyes, hand still trembling slightly. "I'm not very hungry," she admitted softly, her stomach in knots. "Besides, I don't think I can handle any large crowds."

He could understand that. "I have a better idea. I have a great new recipe for clams casino that I'm dying to try out. What do you say? Maybe you just need a change of scenery."

"I've tried everything else," she admitted.

"Well, thanks a lot!" He pulled away from her in mock anger.

She laughed. "You know what I mean."

He smiled. "Deal?"

"On one condition. Can we have something simple tonight and take a raincheck on the clams casino? I really wouldn't enjoy it right now."

His heart went out to her as he knew that was a painful admission for her to make. "Fair enough."

"All right. Let me freshen up a little first." She stood up and swayed a little.

He rose to his feet quickly and grabbed her around the waist. "You okay?"

"Sure. I just stood up too quickly. That's all." She took one or two cautious steps and was relieved that everything stayed in place. "I'll be ready in five minutes."

"Bri, I know that when you say five minutes you usually mean 10."

She laughed. "I'll hurry, I promise."

He glanced at his watch. "I'm timing you."

She went into the bathroom.  
  


A few hours later they were at his apartment. They had finished dinner and she was in his bedroom, changing.

He was making them some herbal tea.

She came out in a long red nightshirt that went to her knees.

He whistled. He also noted to himself silently how thin she'd become. 

She rolled her eyes. "Please! I'd hardly call this sexy," she stated skeptically.

"Well, you're not a man. I may ask you to put a bathrobe on or I won't be responsible for my actions," he teased.

"You're terrible," she chuckled, sitting on the sofa.

He poured the tea and carried the two mugs into the living room. "Don't say that I didn't warn you." He handed one of the mugs to her, then checked the listings in the tv guide. "Hey, there's a good movie on now. You'll love it." He turned on the television and then sat on the sofa beside her.

It was Airplane!.

"It's been on for about a half hour. If you need any background let me know," he told her, getting comfortable.

"You've seen it before?" She asked.

He nodded. "It's a really good movie. You'll see."

She settled back and relaxed, taking a few sips of her tea. She hadn't seen this movie before. 

They both laughed when they got to the scene where Robert Hays was in the disco.

When the movie reached the point near the end where he had to land the plane she turned pale. The mug slipped from her nerveless fingers and crashed onto the floor.

He glanced over in concern. "Hey, you okay?"

She didn't seem to hear him. She was staring straight ahead.

He quickly turned off the television with the remote and slipped his arm around her shoulders. "Bri?" He shook her a little.

"That's -- that's my dream," she whispered.

"You were dreaming about Airplane!?" He asked dubiously.

She shook her head. "No. When Kris and Kelly were at the Stu Zoo and they had to land the plane." Her nerves were totally shot from lack of sleep. She was breathing heavily now as images assaulted her.

"But they're fine," he said reasonably. "You saw them earlier today."

"In my -- dream -- the plane -- crashed. No one -- no one -- " she couldn't finish the rest.

"Bri, it's just a dream," he said gently. "It wasn't real."

"I know that! I just don't know why I keep dreaming it over and over." She jumped to her feet. "I know it's not real, but every time I go to sleep I see that damned plane explode. It seems so real. What if next time they don't make it? What if -- " she broke off, unable to continue.

He took her hand and helped her sit back down. "I don't know, honey." He put his arms around her and held her close.

"What's wrong with me?" She pleaded, afraid that she was losing her mind.

"Maybe that incident is forcing you to face something you have no control over," he explained carefully. "Think about it. So far every case we've handled had to do with murderers, arsonists, your basic criminal element. To some degree they all depended on whoever's got the answer first. But this is the first case where you had no control over anything. You might also be feeling a little guilty because while they were in danger you were relatively safe on the ground."

Sabrina glanced up at him sharply. Just what was he accusing her of? This hit a little too close to home for her.

"We didn't know that then, I know," he hastened to add gently. "I'm just saying that the mind is very complex, and maybe subconsciously you're wondering about it." He stopped abruptly. "Look, I'm only guessing. I'm not a doctor. I'm just saying it's a possibility."

During his speech she'd been listening intently. It did make a weird kind of sense. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel worse."

"No, you didn't. At least it's more than I could come up with." 

"You sure?" He asked dubiously. 

She nodded. "I'm sorry to dump all this on you."

"Don't be silly. That's what friends are for."

The telephone rang, startling the both of them.

"Hello?" Bosley answered after picking up the receiver.

"Hi, Bos, it's me," Kelly said. "Do you know where Bri is? I've tried her house a few times and there's no answer. I'm getting worried."

"She's right here, Kelly," Bosley reassured her, smiling. "Hold on a second."

Sabrina took a deep breath and took the telephone from him. "Hi, Kel."

"Hi. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm a little better."

"You sure? You sound funny," Kelly said suspiciously.

"I'm okay," Sabrina answered, smiling faintly. "It's too late to go home so I'm going to spend the night here."

"Okay. I'll let Kris know so that she won't worry."

"Thanks. I'll give you a call when I get home."

"All right. I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Good night." She hung up the telephone smiling. "I'm going to freshen up."

"All right. While you're doing that I'll put on some more tea."

"I'll be right back," she promised, going into the bathroom.

Not wanting to commit another faux paus he decided to put a classical album on the record player. After he had the stereo on he went into the kitchen to boil the water. While the kettle was on he went back into the living room to retrieve the earlier mugs. He washed them out and then made more tea.

She came back out into the living room. "Nice music." She sat back on the sofa.

He came in a minute later with two mugs. He handed one of them to her and then sat back beside her. "Feeling better?"

"Actually I am," she admitted, taking a sip of tea.

"Great!" He exclaimed, glad he hadn't blown it. "Anything else I can help you with?" He put his mug on the coffee table.

She smiled. "I can't think of anything else right now."

"Well, let me know if you change your mind." He stretched comfortably, hands folded behind his head. "I'm on a roll."

Sabrina laughed then. "I'll remember that." She took another few sips of tea. The combination of the tea and the music made her very relaxed, as well as the company. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. "I meant what I said earlier. You're a good friend."

"If I were such a good friend I would have noticed something was bothering you before now," he commented ruefully.

"Bosley." She opened her eyes and took his hand. "I didn't want anyone to know. You really did help me," she yawned. "I'm so sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. You need to get some sleep." He got up and helped her to her feet and into the bedroom.

She climbed into bed and closed her eyes. "Don't feel guilty. You were right. All I needed was some good company and a change of scenery."

He smiled. "Get some sleep. I'll be right outside if you need me."

"Thanks." She rolled over and was asleep instantly.

He watched her for a minute, then went back to the living room. He left the bedroom door open a little to hear her if case she needed anything. He sat down, took a sip of his tea and glanced at his watch. "9:30?" He said aloud. "She was tired." Since it was too early for bed he pulled out a book and began to read.  
  


The next morning she came out of the bedroom. She found him sitting at the table drinking some coffee and reading the paper. "Good morning." She yawned.

He put the paper down and quickly went to help her to a chair. "Well, good morning. How do you feel?"

She yawned. "Much better, actually. What time is it?"

He looked at his watch. "Almost noon."

"What?!" Her eyes opened wide. "It can't be."

He nodded. "You had some sleep to catch up on. Any dreams?"

"Nope. Not a one."

"Good. Are you up for breakfast?"

Suddenly her appetite was back and she nodded eagerly.

"I have bacon and eggs in the oven for you."

"Do you know how bad that is for you?" She frowned.

He continued into the kitchen. "You also need to gain a little weight, young lady. I'll fix some toast."

She sniffed the air. "Actually that smells delicious," she was forced to admit, stomach growling in anticipation.

"Good. There's plenty." He came out with a plate full of food.

She dug in hungrily.

He smiled and poured her some juice. "Take your time. I promise I won't take it away from you until you're finished."

"You don't know how long it's been since I've had any kind of appetite." She smiled as she continued to eat.

"Promise me that you'll call the next time you need someone to talk to."

She blushed and put her fork down, totally embarrassed now. She looked in his eyes.

"Bri, please. I worry about you," he continued, misunderstanding her reaction.

"That's so sweet." She was touched.

"So? Promise me you'll call, then finish your breakfast."

She smiled. "I promise."

"Good." He smiled. "All right, enough mushy stuff. Eat up before it gets cold."

"Aye aye, sir!" She gave him a mock salute and continued.

"Coffee?"

"Please."

He poured a cup for her.

"This is delicious," she admitted, taking a sip of coffee and a piece of toast. After she was done she pushed away from the table. "Oh, that hit the spot."

"I can scramble a few more eggs if you're still hungry," he offered.

"No, thanks. I'm full."

He chuckled, getting to his feet and taking their dishes into the kitchen. 

"Can I help?" She called into him.

"I'm just putting these into the dish washer," he called back.

She nodded and sighed contentedly, absently taking another piece of toast.

He came back inside and watched her, eyes twinkling. "Sure you don't want any more eggs?"

"I'm fine," she reassured him, stretching. "I'm going to take a shower and get dressed."

"There's a spare toothbrush on the top shelf. Towels are in the linen closet." 

"Thanks. Can I borrow one of your shirts?" She asked, getting to her feet and stretching.

"Sure." 

"Bosley?" She grabbed his hand.

"Hmm?"

"Thanks for being such a good friend," she said softly, kissing him on the cheek.

"Any time," he said, hugging her tightly. 

   [1]: mailto:(Scarecro9@aol.com)



End file.
